Tales From the Underworld — Authentic True Crime

Tales From the Underworld — Authentic True Crime

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1940s

The Life of "Joe Bananas": A Tale of Greed, Manipulation, and Murder
He is the namesake of one of New York City's five mafia families. A shrewd and cunning mobster, his 1983 autobiography caught many off guard and ended…
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Timothy Reynolds
The Daring Escapes of "Gentleman" Bank Robber "Slick" Willie Sutton
Known as much for his daring prison escapes as his intricate bank robberies, "Slick" Willie Sutton was nothing if not resourceful. His infamous…
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Timothy Reynolds
Darkness at Dawn: The Tragic Legacy of The Mỹ Trạch Massacre
On November 29, 1947, one of the darkest chapters in Vietnam's history occurred when French soldiers brutally murdered more than 300 civilians in the…
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Kates Lara
Treasure Hunt: A Look at the Monuments Men and the Hunt for Stolen Nazi Art
Often overlooked due to the incredible scale of human suffering caused by the Second World War, the plundering of art and historical artifacts by the…
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Kirsten Ford
"Old Blue Eyes" and the Mob: Investigating Frank Sinatra's Organized Crime Ties
For years, rumors have persisted that iconic American singer and actor Frank Sinatra was connected to underworld figures. In fact, the FBI kept a file…
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Timothy Reynolds
The Shelton Brothers
The Forgotten Depression Era Gang That Battled the Law, the KKK, and the Chicago Outfit
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Timothy Reynolds
 and 
Sha Cabral
7:14
The Shelton Brothers: The Forgotten Depression Era Gang That Battled the Law, the KKK, and the Chicago Outfit
From the early 1920s through the late 1940s, the Shelton Gang controlled much of the illegal vice trade in southern Illinois. Their reign was…
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Timothy Reynolds
Master Manipulator: The Rise and Fall of Mobster Anthony "Tony Bender" Strollo
Anthony "Tony Bender" Strollo was incredibly conniving even by mafia standards. In April 1962, after one too many betrayals, he disappeared forever
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Timothy Reynolds
Were "Brushy Bill" Roberts and Billy the Kid the Same Person?
Part of the plot of the 1990 Western Young Guns II, "Brushy Bill" Roberts claimed to have been the famed outlaw Billy the Kid, and surprisingly enough…
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Donna Patton
Killer Couple: The Twisted Tale Of The "Lonely Hearts Killers"
In the late 1940s, Raymond Fernandez and Martha Beck scammed women they met through "Lonely Hearts" classifieds. It wasn't long before fraud turned to…
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Timothy Reynolds
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